Budget · Palm Springs · United States
Palm Springs on a budget
What a trip to Palm Springs really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Coachella Valley Preserve, Palm Springs · Photo: Z3lvs, CC0
Quick answer
Palm Springs is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly US$110–170 per person per day on a tight budget, US$250–400 mid-range and US$550–1,200 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in July–August.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- US$110–170 a day
- Mid-range
- US$250–400 a day
- Luxury
- US$550–1,200 a day
- Local currency
- USD
- Free sights
- 5
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Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | US$110–170 | US$330–510 | US$550–850 | US$770–1,190 |
| Mid-range | US$250–400 | US$750–1,200 | US$1,250–2,000 | US$1,750–2,800 |
| Luxury | US$550–1,200 | US$1,650–3,600 | US$2,750–6,000 | US$3,850–8,400 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Palm Springs, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Aerial Tramway round trip, adult | about $30–$45 |
| Indian Canyons entry, adult | about $12–$15 |
| Date shake | about $8–$12 |
| Taco plate at a taquería | about $10–$16 |
| Weekend brunch per person, before tip | about $25–$40 |
| Cocktail at a hotel pool bar | about $14–$20 |
| Mid-range dinner, before tip | about $45–$75 per person |
| Hotel resort fee per night | about $20–$50 |
| Car rental per day | about $50–$90 |
Money-saving tips
- Hotel rates can halve between peak February–April weekends and midweek stays in late May, October or December.
- Check for resort fees and parking charges, which many Palm Springs hotels add to the nightly rate.
- Avoid booking during the Coachella and Stagecoach weekends unless you are attending; prices across the whole valley rise sharply.
- The architecture drive, Palm Canyon Drive, VillageFest, the visitor centre and the Coachella Valley Preserve cost nothing.
- Hotels and rentals in Palm Desert and Cathedral City are often cheaper than in Palm Springs, if you have a car.
- Summer brings the lowest rates of the year and many restaurant deals, but plan everything around the heat.
Free things to do
- Mid-century modern homes drive — Palm Springs' modernist houses are best seen on a self-guided drive or bike ride: Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms by E.
- Palm Springs Visitor Center (Tramway Gas Station) — Albert Frey and Robson Chambers designed this 1965 gas station at the turn-off to the tramway, with a sharply cantilevered hyperbolic paraboloid roof that has become an emblem of desert modernism.
- Palm Canyon Drive and VillageFest — Downtown's main street mixes galleries, vintage clothing, restaurants with misted patios and the Palm Springs Walk of Stars set into the pavement.
- Sunnylands — Walter and Leonore Annenberg's winter estate, with a 1966 pink-roofed house by A.
- Coachella Valley Preserve — Along the San Andreas Fault, the Thousand Palms Oasis supports dense groves of fan palms fed by groundwater pushed up by the fault.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for couples, nightlife and quiet stays
Warm Sands
Small men's resorts, many clothing-optional, a few blocks southeast of downtown
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and budget
South Palm Springs
Deepwell, Canyon Corridor and golf-course condos on the road to the Indian Canyons
$$ · Best for families, shopping and budget
Palm Desert
El Paseo boutiques, the Living Desert zoo and family-friendly mid-range hotels
Eating well for less
- Medjool and Deglet Noor dates — Date farm shops around Indio and Thermal, and seasonal stalls at the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.
- Tacos and Mexican plates — Family-run taquerías along Indian Canyon Drive and in Cathedral City, Coachella and Indio, which have some of the most traditional cooking.
- Chilaquiles — Brunch spots downtown and on North Palm Canyon Drive, and Mexican cafés across the valley.
- Weekend brunch — Restaurants and hotel patios downtown and in the Uptown Design District; expect queues on Saturdays and Sundays in high season.
- Desert citrus — Farmers' markets in the valley and farm stands along the roads around Thermal and Coachella in winter.
Getting around for less
Downtown Palm Springs is walkable, but the attractions are spread across a valley about 70 km long, so most visitors rent a car. SunLine buses link the valley's cities, and rideshares cover short hops.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Palm Springs cost?
About US$1,250–2,000 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or US$550–850 on a tight budget.
+Is Palm Springs expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. Hotel rates can halve between peak February–April weekends and midweek stays in late May, October or December.
+How much money do I need per day in Palm Springs?
Roughly US$110–170 on a budget and US$250–400 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Palm Springs?
Usually in July–August.